Connacht, not surprisingly, have announced an unchanged side for their Interprovincial Championship meeting with Leinster at Donnybrook, in which either can still finish top or bottom of the table; so everything is up for grabs.

Both sides still entertain notions of pinching the title from Munster on points difference; at the same time, neither has copper-fastened qualification for next season's European Cup.

The one amendment to the replacements' bench sees Rory Rogers return from injury. This is in keeping with Warren Gatland's policy of selection continuity, for he has used only 16 players in his three starting line-ups for the inter-provincials and only 18 in four matches.

"My downfall as a coach is probably that I'm a bit too loyal," he said, "but there are times when they pay you back, and I don't believe players should be punished unduly for one poor performance."

The flip side of that coin is that Gatland demands and expects loyalty from his players. Mindful that Brian Carey and Shane Leahy flew the Connacht roost after last season, he was only half-joking yesterday when he revealed: "I've warned the players that if any of them have any plans to defect to another province next season, they'd better do it now."

Gatland is itching to ensure Connacht's appearance in next season's European Cup for the first time, and thus to start preparing for it next Monday. "That would start immediately. I'd need to be dealing with each player individually telling them what's required, whether they need to put on or lose a stone, or whatever else. The whole emphasis would change. If we qualify, the planning starts now, because you need 12 months' planning to be ready for the Cup."

Connacht's minimum requirement for qualification is a draw, though they could conceivably reach the 1998 European Cup were they to lose to Leinster but Ulster fail to beat Munster. A defeat, coupled with an Ulster win, would see them denied a place in the premier European competition on points difference for the second year running.

Maurice Field makes a timely return to the Ulster fold for their win-or-bust game against Munster at Ravenhill. The former Irish international centre came through a 20-minute run-out for his club Malone on Saturday after undergiong a shoulder operation before the start of the season.

Stanley McDowell moves to full back at the expense of Rob Morrow, while City of Derry number eight Keith Gallick comes in from the cold in place of Roger Wilson for a game Ulster must win if they are to have any hope of qualifying for next season's European Cup.

In stark contrast, Leinster's selection plans have been hampered by a number of injury doubts and they probably won't finalise their side until today. After their injury-time defeat to Munster, a number of Leinster players are nursing injuries: Ciaran Clarke (foot), Dennis Hickie (ankle), Angus McKeen (flu), Aaron Freeman (eye), Trevor Brennan (shoulder), Tony Goldfinch (hamstring), Victor Costello (toe) and Stephen Rooney (head).

Similarly, Munster will delay the announcement of their side until today or tomorrow, with their primary concern being the loose-head position, where Noel Healy (broken bone in his hand) and Gavin Walsh (ribs) are under a cloud. Coming into the equation is Killian Keane, inactive this season after a knee cartilage operation, who resumed training last night.